Collapsible Furniture Leg Assembly for Jam-Free Telescopic Folding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Collapsible metal outdoor furniture often jams during the collapsing process due to premature movement of upper leg segments, leading to misalignment and interference between leg segments, which can prevent smooth operation.
Innovation Solution
A collapsible leg assembly with pivotal links and control links that prevent telescopic engagement until the upper and lower leg segments are coaxially aligned, ensuring proper alignment and smooth transition between open and closed positions, using a pair of control links to maintain clearance and facilitate smooth pivotal movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If upper leg segments are allowed to move freely during collapsing, then the collapsing process is simpler, but jamming and misalignment occur between leg segments
Solution Approach 1:
Control links are introduced as intermediary components between the upper and lower leg segments. These control links regulate the movement sequence, ensuring that upper leg segments only telescope into lower leg segments after proper coaxial alignment is achieved, thereby preventing jamming while maintaining operational simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanism performs preliminary alignment action before telescopic engagement. The control links first guide the upper leg segments into coaxial alignment with the lower leg segments, and only then permit the telescopic movement to occur, preventing misalignment and interference
2Reliability
If control links are added to prevent premature movement, then alignment and smooth operation are ensured, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The leg assembly is segmented into distinct functional components: fixed lower leg segments, movable upper leg segments, pivotal links, and control links. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently, achieving reliable alignment and telescopic engagement without requiring an overly complex integrated mechanism
3Volume of moving object
If upper leg segments are telescopically received within lower leg segments, then minimal storage size is achieved, but misalignment can prevent complete collapse
Solution Approach 1:
Control links serve as mediators that coordinate the telescopic reception of upper leg segments within lower leg segments. They ensure that this space-saving configuration is only achieved after proper alignment, preventing the complete collapse from being blocked by misalignment while still attaining minimal storage volume
Data Source
AI summary
Collapsible articles of furniture are provided which have at least one leg assembly which includes a first leg and a second leg. The first leg has a first upper leg segment and a first lower leg segment coupled to the upper leg segment by a first link and the second leg has a movable second upper leg segment and a fixed second lower leg segment coupled to the upper leg segment by a second link. The two links are pivotally connected to each other for movement between an open position wherein the first and second legs cross each other to form a generally X-shaped configuration and a closed position wherein the upper and lower leg segments are aligned with each other and the upper leg section of the first leg is received within the lower leg section of the second leg and is aligned with and telescopically received within the lower leg section of the first leg. The pair of control links pivotally supported in a space between the link plates move in response to movement of the plates prevent telescopic connection between the upper and lower leg segments and prevent the upper leg segments from being telescopically received within the lower leg segments until a predetermined condition of alignment between the upper and lower leg segments has been attained.